4 Days post-op, how up and about should I be?

[Johnster]

Procedure was performed January 21st by Dr McCaldan in London, Ontario.  I arrived home last night and have been essentially in bed ever since.  Been up and down to the bathroom a few times, although the first trip this morning gave me a wave of nausea that almost had me tossing, but outside of that it's been bed with my stretching exercises.   I dont want to rush anything but I also dont want to baby it.  Any thoughts?

Thanks

[oldsoccerplayer]

A lot depends on how you're feeling, which again depends on how the procedure went, how much and which anesthesia etc. so there's no standard answer. Don't push yourself into something you feel you're not ready for but you might want to try walking around with crutches or other assistance for a couple of minutes once every few hours. Don't stray too far from a bed or chair where you can sit down if needed. Above all don't worry about it too much, this is still very early days and you will come through.

[Johnster]

A lot depends on how you're feeling, which again depends on how the procedure went, how much and which anesthesia etc. so there's no standard answer. Don't push yourself into something you feel you're not ready for but you might want to try walking around with crutches or other assistance for a couple of minutes once every few hours. Don't stray too far from a bed or chair where you can sit down if needed. Above all don't worry about it too much, this is still very early days and you will come through.

Thanks for the response.  The procedure went very well according to Dr. McCalden, and the anesthetic was spinal block with sedative, so fortunately no general sedation.  I think that what may be happening is I'm still feeling the effects of a stomach flu I contracted last weekend, because ever since I've been hyper-sensitive to things that make me nauseous and I get the chills when waling around.  Regardless, I appreciate the wisdom, you're right, this is early days and I'll just do whats within my capabilities for a few days.

Cheers.

[Kingrob]

I was up and about pretty quick. I was off crutches in 5 days and never used a cane. I did get some bad headaches and the chills for several weeks after the surgery though. I never got headaches before and that was a pretty rough first couple of weeks trying to deal with them. Everybody is different so listen to your DR and go at your own pace. Babying it is better then over doing it in my opinion. In this case patience is a sign of strength and is not for the weak of heart.

[Johnster]

I was up and about pretty quick. I was off crutches in 5 days and never used a cane. I did get some bad headaches and the chills for several weeks after the surgery though. I never got headaches before and that was a pretty rough first couple of weeks trying to deal with them. Everybody is different so listen to your DR and go at your own pace. Babying it is better then over doing it in my opinion. In this case patience is a sign of strength and is not for the weak of heart.

Hi Rob,
Thats very interesting about the chills, because I'm experiencing them as well.  I hadn't heard of that being a side-effect of the surgery before so it's very good to hear that someone else has has also experienced them.  As to the crutches, my surgeon has said I'm to be 50% weight bearing on that hip for 6 weeks, so how were you able to go without crutches in only 5 days?  Was the Dr OK with this?

John

[Kingrob]

I had a bone scan done before the surgery and mine was good so I was put on the fast track for recovery. I was told by my DR I was full weight bearing right after the surgery. I got home on day 3 and was doing the one crutch thing for a while and realized after a few days that I did not need it. I was just walking in my house and a few short walks outside during the day. I was not trying to do to much. After a few weeks I went to big stores like Lowes and Home Depot and grabbed a cart and just walked around the store. The cart acted like a walker and it was a good way for me to focus on losing the limp.

It took a while for the chills and the headaches to go away.

Just follow what your DR tells you and all will be good.

[blinky]

I read somewhere to treat the early days like a lazy weekend: not to stay in bed the whole time, but move from bed to kitchen table to recliner. If you had a stomach bug, I can see that you would be worn out. Getting to a lazy weekend would be a step up.

[JHippy]

Johnster you actually should get up and move around once or twice a day. Nothing crazy just a five or ten minute hobble around. If you stay in bed and don't do anything you risk getting blood clots. It's the main reason they want you moving around early on. If you can't, I'd check with the doctor and make sure what you're doing is okay.

[Johnster]

Thanks for the follow up posts.  I saw the Physio-guy yesterday and has basically said what was said here, first few days just relax, but keep doing the exercises they have given me.  He also was clear that I was to get up and walk around every hour or so, to keep the stiffness in check and to prevent blood clots.  I have been trying to do that, but as a result I'm also getting some decent swelling in the operated leg.  No pain or discolouration, just swelling, which I am told is normal.

Thanks again for the posts, I'll follow up in a few days.